Bengaluru
City police have apprehended four individuals involved in a sophisticated fraud scheme that exploited Aadhaar data for financial gain. The accused, identified as Rehman, Abuzar, Arif, and Nasir Ahamed, hailing from Bihar, misused Aadhaar numbers and fingerprint data to pilfer money from bank accounts using the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS). The modus operandi of the fraudsters involved acquiring Aadhaar card numbers and fingerprint data from the Karnataka Government’s revenue department website. Exploiting this information, the criminals withdrew funds from bank accounts through the AePS method. The illicit operation extended beyond Karnataka, with reported incidents in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and other states. Upon discovering the fraud, the police initiated an investigation and formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Laxmi Prasad. The accused confessed to not only conducting the fraudulent transactions but also selling the collected data from government websites to other individuals. In response to the incident, authorities have called for heightened security measures to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data on government platforms. The police have urged the Revenue Department to implement safeguards to protect citizens’ personal information. Over 120 similar cases have been reported, indicating the extensive reach and impact of the fraud network. The arrested individuals will face charges related to the unauthorized use of Aadhaar data and financial crimes. The investigation remains ongoing as law enforcement continues to unravel the full extent of the criminal activities.
